Work starts on Princes Highway rest area

Rest area will be expanded to accommodate four trucks of up to 19 metres in length at any one time

April 10, 2013

Work has started on expanding the Waldron Swamp rest area on the Princes Highway in New South Wales to accommodate more trucks.

The upgrade of the facility north of Moruya, which is just over two hours south-east of the nation’s capital, will take about six months to complete.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says the upgrade, once complete, will be able to house four trucks of up to 19 metres in length at any one time. The rest area is located on the southbound side of the highway.

"The funding for this upgrade is coming from our Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, the first ever federal initiative dedicated to addressing the unacceptable lack of safe, modern roadside facilities along the nation’s highways," Albanese says.

"In total we’re delivering 83 new and refurbished rest stops across NSW, including four on the Princes Highway, complementing our record investment in upgrading key sections of the state’s road network."

He says 73 people died on NSW roads last year in crashes involving heavy vehicles, with fatigue a major factor in many of them.

"We must continue to do all we can to prevent similar tragedies in the future – and without a doubt providing new and upgraded rest stops is part of the answer," Gay says.

He says the upgrade follows the extensive community consultations carried out in July 2012.

"The site was identified in consultation with the trucking industry and in accordance with national guidelines requiring major rest areas to be located within a maximum of 120 kilometres on key rural freight routes," Gay says.

"Driver behaviour, noise and traffic conditions are being monitored at other heavy vehicle rest areas to help determine whether a fifth rest area should be built along the highway at the Christopher’s Road intersection."